Silk [2023] - Somethin' 'Bout The Way [As + Bees #ABEE 6502]

This was posted on Wednesday which we thought was going to be be 12" vinyl only but has been released digitally today.

It's a previously unreleased 70s song "Somethin' 'Bout The Way" by Philly group Silk who had their modern soul classic "I Can't Stop (Turning You On)" bastardised last year by LF System who hit the top of the UK pop chart with it. It spent 53 weeks on the chart and was #1 for 8 weeks in Jul and Aug '22!

A's + Bees are releasing it as their second 12" (they released Rare Pleasure's "Superfine Feeling" in 2021 which was only ever previously on acetate). It consists of the original unreleased mix of the song along with Late Night Tuff Guy (LNTG) Short Edit and LNTG Disco Dub. 

The plug/A side is the 6:36 LNTG Disco Dub, with the original 5:12 mix and LNTG 3:34 edit relegated to the B side.

Click on image below for link to where you can buy from. 

Details

Rating:	8.6
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Philly Soul / Previously Unreleased / Remix
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital / 12" Vinyl
Label:	As + Bees
Cat No:	ABEE 6502
Date:	30/06/2023
Key/BPM:	9B/121 / 10B/121 / 9A/121
Price:	£2.97 / £11-£15

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Silk [2023] - Somethin' 'Bout The Way [As + Bees #ABEE 6502]

Landing on many vinyl dealers' websites today is a 12" of a previously unreleased 70s song "Somethin' 'Bout The Way" by Philly group Silk who had their modern soul classic "I Can't Stop (Turning You On)" bastardised last year by LF System who hit the top of the UK pop chart with it. It spent 53 weeks on the chart and was #1 for 8 weeks in Jul and Aug '22!

A's + Bees second 12" (they released Rare Pleasure's "Superfine Feeling" in 2021 which was only ever previously on acetate) consists of the original unreleased mix of the song along with Late Night Tuff Guy (LNTG) Short Edit and LNTG Disco Dub. 

The plug/A side is the 6:36 LNTG Disco Dub, with the original 5:12 mix and LNTG 3:34 edit relegated to the B side.

It's released on Friday (30 Jun) but available to pre-order from your vinyl dealer now. Prices vary between dealers (£11-£15) and you need to factor in postage.

NOTE: A full version is scheduled for 10:00 am (BST/UK time) on YouTube (below).

Click on image below for link to where you can buy from. 

Details

Rating:	8.6
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Philly Soul / Previously Unreleased / Remix
Format:	Single
Media:	12" Vinyl
Label:	As + Bees
Cat No:	ABEE 6502
Date:	30/06/2023
Key/BPM:	N/A
Price:	£11-£15

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Silk [1979] - I Can't Stop (Turning You On) [PIR #ZS9 3730] v LF System [2022] - Afraid To Feel [Warner]

If you have had the misfortune to listen to national radio anytime in the last couple of weeks you will undoubtedly have heard a mash-up topping the UK pop chart by LF System which bastardises this modern soul classic from Silk. All fine and dandy if the song's writers, or families in case of at least one (Joseph Jefferson) now deceased, see a red cent for it!

Silk started out as Ujima in the early 70s changing their name to Anglo Saxon Brown in 1976 becoming Silk by 1979. Their lead female singer was Debra Henry who is the aunt of Nicole Henry who has featured here several times in recent months.

The new song that samples "I Can't Stop (Turning You On)" (released on Philadelphia International in 1979) is by LF System titled "Afraid To Feel" and I've counted at least nine different mixes of it.

The song has been posted here previously but worth another post to remind you what it 'should' sound like and I may as well post one of the new versions (the main version) for those who have been lucky enough to miss it ... why should the rest of us suffer alone? It has been speeded up and sounds like Mickey Mouse on speed!

It has been on the UK chart for 8 weeks (since 9 Jun) and has been #1 for the last 3 weeks!

Click on image below for link to where you can buy from.

Click icons below for further information or to connect with the artist. 

Details

Rating:
Explicit:	8.6 (for Silk)
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	7"
Label:	Philadelphia International
Cat No:	ZS9 3730
Date:	1979
Key/BPM:	N/A
Price:	£30-£60 (approx.)

Copyright © 2009-2022 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Silk [1980] - I Can't Stop (Turning You On) [PIR#ZS9 3730]

I'm in the process of trawling the 80s looking for lesser known or unknown top tunes.  I have to say it's hard work as musical style changed significantly throughout the decade as musicians were replaced by synthesisers and computers and funk and boogie and bland MOR ballads seemed to dominate.  However, I know of many diamonds in the rough, and hopefully will find some more.

I'll tag them as '80's Hidden Gems' so that they can be group together on the side bar links.

To kick things off here's one of only three 45s (all on Philadelphia International) released by Silk.  

Silk are a reincarnation of Ujima formed in 1972 in Richmond, VA who in 1976 became Anglo Saxon Brown.  As Silk they released a solitary album (Midnight Dancer) and 3 45s on Philadelphia International in 1979.  

The female lead, Debra Henry, released a couple of duets with Jerry Butler in 1980.  Nothing else was released by the group so I presume they split up in 1979/80 perhaps because Debra Henry wanted to go solo or perhaps she went solo because the group split, but other than the couple of releases with Jerry Butler I can find nothing else from her.

The version posted here is the slightly longer (4:00) album version reissued on 12" in 2003.